Holy shit – I can’t believe it’s been over two years since I wrote a Nashville Hot Chicken Review here on SoBros Network. Yikes – where has the time gone? Let’s get the awkward part of this out of the way early – I tried Prince’s Hot Chicken for the first time last Friday night, and as you’ll see below, I did not find it to be the best hot chicken in this city. I have to be honest with you guys – I’m nothing as a journalist if not transparent. These are my feelings.
Now, my experience raises an important debate, because both my wife and Outspoken Owen Reed said the same thing to me. I ate Prince’s at Assembly Food Hall. They both told me I can’t judge Prince’s based on that experience because it’s “not the real Prince’s.” I get the sentiment. I can certainly understand how location can impact quality. But, my counterpoint to that was that if you’re going to put your name and your brand on the sign, you damn well better be confident that the product coming out lines up with the real thing. That’s why I said it was fair game to write this review. Whether you agree with me or not is your prerogative, but I can’t review spots for you…I’m sharing my experience in pieces like this. Nothing more, nothing less.
Now, I’m talking about this as if I’m going to slam Prince’s in this review. I’m not. I liked it. It was a great meal, and I’d undoubtedly eat it again. I just didn’t think it was revelatory that way some people in this city talk about it. I didn’t see it the same way so many of y’all do. It was fine Nashville hot chicken. Fine. But, there’s an interesting dynamic at play here in how hyped up this establishment is. Through word of mouth for decades, Prince’s has become apart of Nashville’s DNA. Hearing some of y’all talk about it made me think I was going to have my brain blown out of my skull. Maybe that sets unfair standards to live up to. I don’t know. Again, I’m just saying how I feel.
Pics
Hold up, let’s zoom in on the texture of this chicken:
Ratings
Flavor: 5/10 – It’s the thing that really grounds this hot chicken….right down the middle, it is spice and heat and that’s about it. I like a little sweetness in my hot chicken. At the very least, I like a little variance in the flavor. This felt like blunt cayenne right to the dome.
Texture: 8.47/10 – Oh my, this was the highlight of the meal to me. The chicken was so fresh. Juice rolled down my chin with every bite. It was cooked to perfection, and the breading gave it a nice, crispy exterior. Regardless of what your heat tolerance is, this is exactly what you want your chicken to be. It was legitimately the perfect tender.
Heat: 8.24/10 – They nailed the hit. I ordered medium, and sometimes, places will serve it up like you’re a bitch if you do that and the result is a chicken that lacks in the heat department. Or, you’ll get the people who try to blow your intestines out with the medium. Prince’s gets it just right – the medium isn’t hot enough to overpower the rest of the experience, but it is just enough to clear out your sinuses.
Fixins: 5.78/10 – Fries were fine, but it’s really the macaroni and cheese that pull this score above average. It was rich and creamy and helped to cool down my palate after the heat from the chicken set in. Loved the pickles. Loved the bread.
Overall: 6.87/10 – Again, my issue isn’t that this was a bad meal because it certainly wasn’t. It hit pretty damn hard after a few gin and tonics on a Friday night. It was good. My issue is that for no telling how long, I have been building this chicken up in my head as the best thing I’ve ever eaten, and it wasn’t. Prince’s offers up a good, classical style Nashville hot chicken and a quality of meal that you just won’t get everywhere else.
CURRENT NASHVILLE HOT CHICKEN POWER RANKINGS
- Hurt’s Hot Chicken (8.53/10)
- Red’s 615 Kitchen (7.23/10)
- Prince’s Hot Chicken (6.87/10)
- Scoreboard (6.62/10)
- Nectar: Urban Cantina (6.5/10)
Important qualifier: I’ve literally only reviewed 12 places around town. Don’t @ me with the “where’s Hattie B’s? Where’s Bolton’s? Where’s Prince’s?” I KNOW – we’re working on getting out to the heavyweights in the Nashville hot chicken scene this year. This portfolio has to start somewhere, and right now, it’s starting east of town because that’s the easiest for me to get to. *shrugs*
Stoney Keeley is the Editor in Chief of The SoBros Network, and a Dogs Playing Poker on velvet connoisseur. He is a strong supporter of Team GSD, #BeBetter, and ‘Minds right, asses tight.’ “Big Natural” covers the Tennessee Titans, Nashville, Yankee Candle, and a whole wealth of nonsense. Follow on Twitter @StoneyKeeley.
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